Saudi Arabia A Year of Strategic Alliances

In 2023, Saudi Arabia emerged as a pivotal diplomatic player on the world stage, marking a year of strategic alignments and hosting a series of significant global summits.

This remarkable ascendancy in international diplomacy was not only a testament to the Kingdom's growing geopolitical influence but also signaled a new era in its foreign policy approach.

The year saw Saudi Arabia navigate complex regional and international terrains with adeptness and agility, showcasing its capacity to manage crises and foster dialogue across a spectrum of global issues.

From orchestrating large-scale evacuations in conflict zones to brokering historic diplomatic reconciliations, the actions of Kingdom were marked by a combination of strategic foresight and diplomatic finesse.

Amidst a landscape of shifting alliances and emerging challenges, Saudi Arabia's role as a convener of critical discussions and a mediator in international disputes underscored its commitment to stability and cooperation.

As the world witnessed the unfolding of these diplomatic endeavors, the Kingdom solidified its position as a central player in shaping the global agenda.

Throughout the months of the year, the Kingdom hosted several significant international summits.

In August, Jeddah hosted a meeting concerning the Ukrainian crisis, attended by national security advisors from around 40 countries.

Then in October, a historic first summit took place between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In response to the developments in Gaza, an extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit was convened in Riyadh in November to address the Israeli aggression.

This was followed by a Saudi-African summit and the year concluded with a Saudi-Russian summit after Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Riyadh.

Saudi-Iranian Relations Resumed

On March 10, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced the resumption of diplomatic ties, with a plan to reopen embassies and diplomatic missions within 60 days, following Chinese-brokered talks.

The tripartite statement stressed the importance of respecting state sovereignty and non-interference in internal matters.

The embassies were officially reopened later in the year, and in November, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visited Saudi Arabia for the first time since the resumption of relations to participate in the Arab-Islamic summit about Gaza.

Saudi Evacuation Efforts in Sudan

In April, as the situation in Sudan abruptly escalated, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia mobilized its naval fleet in a globally lauded initiative.

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the evacuation of over 5,000 people from 100 countries, including 184 Saudis, amid clashes between the Sudanese army and Rapid Support Forces. This was described as one of the largest successful evacuation operations globally.

Gulf and Central Asia Summit

In a continuation of strategic and political dialogues, Jeddah hosted a summit in July for leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the five Central Asian countries.

The summit emphasized enhancing strategic dialogue and political cooperation between the two sides, fostering partnerships in various fields including political and security dialogue, economic and investment cooperation, and promoting people-to-people exchanges.

Jeddah Meeting on the Ukrainian Crisis

Jeddah hosted peace talks concerning the Ukrainian crisis in August. The meeting, chaired by Dr. Musaed Al-Aiban, a member of the Saudi Cabinet and National Security Advisor, was attended by national security advisors from about 30 countries.

Gulf and ASEAN Summit

In a historic first, leaders of 16 Gulf and Asian countries met in Riyadh in October. A joint action plan for 2024-2028 was initiated to map a clear road map and enhance cooperation and partnership in various fields, serving the shared interests of both regions.

Saudi-African Summit

Continuing its active foreign policy, Saudi Arabia hosted a Saudi-African summit in Riyadh in November.

The summit concluded with both sides committing to developing cooperation and partnership in development and laying foundations for continental integration for a sustainable future.

Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister, announced the launch of the King Salman Development Initiative in Africa during the summit, aiming to establish developmental projects and programs across the continent valued at over one billion dollars over ten years.

Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit

Due to the severity of the situation following Israeli aggression on Gaza, Saudi Arabia called for an extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh in November.

More than 57 countries participated in the summit, which concluded with significant decisions, including breaking the Israeli blockade on Gaza and emphasizing the need to stop the war and end the occupation.

Saudi-Caribbean Summit

Riyadh also hosted its first summit with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in November. The summit aimed to enhance partnerships in economics, investment, trade, energy, tourism, and other areas in line with Saudi Vision 2030.

A joint Saudi-Caribbean statement was issued, emphasizing mutual interests and friendly relations, exploring ways to expand and develop partnerships, including in education, health, maritime cooperation, communications, logistics, food security, energy security, and the tourism economy.

Saudi-Russian Summit

Before the end of 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Saudi Arabia, meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. The talks focused on mutual interests and issues concerning both countries, the Middle East, and the world.

The two countries emphasized the necessity of halting military operations in Palestinian territories and agreed that security and stability in Palestine could only be achieved through the implementation of international resolutions pertaining to a two-state solution.

They also agreed to enhance defense and security cooperation and commended the close cooperation within OPEC for stabilizing global oil markets.

Courtesy: Saudi Gazette

Who could be Israel’s next likely targets?

After an Israeli airstrike killed senior IRGC commander Sayyed Razi Mousavi, The Jerusalem Post published names of those who could be Israel's next targets?

Following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech on Saturday night, in which he warned Iran and stated he would not detail any Israeli actions against it, Iran International has reported further Israeli elimination targets.

This comes after an airstrike in Syria attributed to Israel killed Sayyed Razi Mousavi, a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) official in Syria. 

Mousavi was killed during an attack that occurred on November 25 near Damascus. He was the commander of the logistics bureau of the Lebanon Corps within the IRGC.

Mousavi was instrumental in establishing the Iranian presence in Syria, a key factor in the relationship between Iran, Syria and Hezbollah, and the advancement of weaponry to Israel's northern front.

Mousavi communicated directly with the Syrian regime and, through it, promoted Iranian interest in Syrian territory. He was a central factor and initiator, with much experience and extensive connections in the arena.

He was entrusted with the execution of most of the transfers of weaponry by land, air, and sea. For example, he would personally oversee the unloading of Iranian passenger flights carrying sensitive weapons for Iranian emissaries in Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon. 

He was the head of the logistics bureau of the Lebanon Corps (Unit 2250) within the IRGC, which was established in order to carry out and facilitate transfers of weapons and Iranian equipment to Lebanon through Syria.

The unit is given special authorizations by the Syrian regime that includes transit permits throughout the country and access to Syrian airports.

The Iranian terminal at Damascus International Airport, for example, allows the reception of Iranian passengers together with weapons without the direct supervision of the security forces.

Oftentimes, the unit uses these authorizations in order to transfer weapons while the Syrian regime turns a blind eye and uses the authorizations they themselves have issued.

In addition, the logistics bureau is responsible for unloading the cargo intended for the forces at the port of Latakia, in December 2021, containers carrying weapons were attacked while they were being unloaded by these parties in Syria.

Unit 2250 has many logistical capabilities and assets throughout Syria that allow for the transfer of weapons, whose final destination is often Hezbollah in Lebanon. In light of the repeated Israeli attacks, there is no doubt that the unit's transferring capabilities have been significantly weakened; however, it still attempts to advance transfers in Syrian territory under the risk of being attacked.

Unit 2250 has many logistical capabilities and assets throughout Syria that allow for the transfer of weapons, whose final destination is often Hezbollah in Lebanon. In light of the repeated Israeli attacks, there is no doubt that the unit's transferring capabilities have been significantly weakened; however, it still attempts to advance transfers in Syrian territory under the risk of being attacked.

Unit 2250 works in close cooperation with Unit 4400, Hezbollah's strengthening and cooperation unit led by Haj Fadi, which is responsible for transporting sensitive equipment from Syria to Lebanon.

The Syrian regime allows these transfers of equipment and dangerous weapons to be carried out through the country and gives the unit full freedom of action. It is evident that Israel usually carries out many attacks against these transferal units, and as a result, Syria continues to pay the price for this time and time again.

Additional heads of the logistics bureau include Abdullah Abadi, Mousavi's right-hand man; Zin Shams Abu Andan, a key figure in the bureau and a close associate of Mousavi; Hadi Feiz-Abadi, a senior logistics commander and representative of Unit 190, the weapon-transfer unit in the Quds force headed by Behnam Shahriyari.

Feiz-Abadi recently replaced Meitham Catabi, who coordinated the transfer of weapons together with Unit 190.

Naftali Bennett openly inviting the US and others to attack Iran

It’s time for the peoples of the West to wake up to the reality that Israel is not their friend. In fact, Israel is their enemy.

For the West, Israel is now a strategic liability. Israel’s leaders would readily sacrifice their interests to achieve its goals of ethnically cleansing Palestine and dominating the Middle East.

Israel’s former PM and unrepentant war criminal Naftali Bennett is now openly demanding that the United States and its allies to attack Iran. Not only would a war with Iran cause devastating death and destruction, it would also result in massive damage to the global economy and consume huge amounts of public money that could be used to better the lives of the citizens of Western nations.

Bennett and other Israeli leaders want the world to fight their war because 1) they cannot defeat Iran by means of conventional warfare and 2) they could not care less about the lives of soldiers and citizens from other countries.

The simplest and most humane way to bring peace to the Middle East is for Israel to agree to the creation of a viable and truly sovereign Palestinian state along the 1967 borders - which is what the United Nations has demanded for decades. These racist lunatics would rather plunge the West into another catastrophic war than respect the will of the international community and the human rights of the Palestinian people.

 

Egypt and Iran poised to restore diplomatic ties

After decades of estrangement, Egypt and Iran are poised to fully restore diplomatic ties and swap ambassadors in the near future, according to a high-ranking Egyptian official.

Rakha Ahmad Hassan, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, stated that an ambassadorial swap is probably going to occur soon.

He made the remarks in an interview with Russia’s Sputnik news agency on Friday.

He noted that ties between Cairo and Tehran have reached a new height with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi congratulating his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on his recent victory in Egypt's presidential elections.

This month, Hassan stated that the two heads of state spoke over the phone on a number of topics, including the reestablishment of diplomatic relations and the ongoing events in the Gaza Strip and the Red Sea.

On December 23, Raisi and El-Sisi agreed to resolve the remaining issues between the two countries.

As subsequently reported by the Iranian president’s website, Raisi congratulated el-Sisi for winning Egypt’s latest presidential elections during the phone call. 

He also called on Cairo to use all its capacities to stop the Zionist regime's attacks on Gaza, start providing aid, and fulfill the rights of the people of Palestine.

The Egyptian leader, for his part, expressed his satisfaction with the opportunity to speak to Raisi adding, "Iran and Egypt can play an effective role in establishing stability and security in the region due to their high historical and civilizational position and having diverse capacities."

In recent months, Iran and Egypt have been working to cultivate a closer relationship and heal longstanding rifts. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry convened on September 20 during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. 

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani hailed the meeting as a pivotal moment in Tehran-Cairo relations, marking a positive step within Iran’s regional diplomacy initiatives.

In addition to diplomatic engagements, Iran’s Finance Minister Ehsan Khandouzi met with his Egyptian counterpart during a visit to Cairo in September. Both officials reached an agreement to establish a committee for overseeing joint projects. 

“The current level of relations between the two countries indicates that the exchange of ambassadors is imminent. Latest remarks by Oman’s ruler, Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, also suggest that efforts are being made in the region in this regard as he touched on the matter and the consequences that the rapprochement could bring about,” the senior Egyptian official noted. 

He underlined that the cycle of resolving regional issues will be completed by the restoration of diplomatic ties between Egypt and Iran, particularly in light of the recent measures to settle the Yemeni crisis and the rapprochement between Riyadh and Tehran. 

Hassan emphasized that Iran’s more active involvement in the Arab world will boost commercial interaction with Arab nations while also advancing stability and prosperity in the region.

Back in August, Chairman of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs noted that Cairo does not require mediation to fully reestablish diplomatic ties with Iran.

Speaking with the Arab World Press (AWP), Mohamed el-Orabi said that Cairo and Tehran are still in communication, but it is not necessary for them to be broadcast.

“It is very simple, it should not become complicated; Tehran-Cairo relations will be fully restored eventually, but Egypt has its reservations,” el-Orabi noted. 

The announcement comes amid rumors that the two regional powerhouses are holding behind-the-scenes talks and would soon reopen their respective embassies.

El-Orabi further noted that Egypt and Iran maintain ongoing diplomatic relations that have not been broken.

But when it comes to the re-establishment of relationships, he said, determining factors that are unique in essence should be taken into account.

“Iran is an active country in the region, and rapprochement with it is linked to other issues like the status quo in Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon,” the senior Egyptian official stressed. 

He emphasized that while it is challenging to set a specific timetable for the restoration of Egypt-Iran ties, progress might be made if any of the aforementioned concerns were to be resolved.

Egypt severed its diplomatic ties with Iran in 1980 following its welcoming of the deposed Pahlavi ruler and its recognition of the apartheid Israeli regime. 

Presently, discussions are underway between the two regional heavyweights regarding the potential reopening of their respective embassies in Iraq.

Nevertheless, there are reports indicating that the Israeli regime is exerting pressure on Egypt to refrain from re-establishing ties with Iran.

According to Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth daily newspaper, Israeli delegates have purportedly undertaken covert visits to Cairo in an attempt to dissuade the government of President el-Sisi from reciprocating steps to restore diplomatic relations with Iran.

 

South Africa initiates case against Israel at ICJ

"No one knows apartheid like those who fought it before," said one Palestinian rights advocate on Friday in response to the news that South Africa has taken a historic new step to hold Israel accountable for its relentless bombardment and violent years long occupation of Gaza—calling on the International Court of Justice to declare that Israel has breached its obligations under the Genocide Convention.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) in South Africa said it is gravely concerned with the plight of civilians caught in the present Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip due to the indiscriminate use of force and forcible removal of inhabitants and called on the ICJ to take action to force Israel to immediately cease its current attacks on Gaza's 2.3 million residents.

The motion was filed as the death toll in Gaza surpassed 21,500 people and tens of thousands of displaced residents fled an Israeli ground offensive, as airstrikes continued in southern Gaza.

Noting that South Africa has consistently condemned all attacks on civilians, including the assault by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, the country's representatives at the ICJ said Israel's bombardment of Gaza is genocidal in character because they are intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial, and [ethnic] group.

"The acts in question include killing Palestinians in Gaza, causing them serious bodily and mental harm, and inflicting on them conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction," reads the application filed at the ICJ.

South Africa took its latest action regarding Israel less than two weeks after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the government had submitted documents to the International Criminal Court (ICC) supporting its demand, made in November with several other countries that the court should investigate Israel for war crimes.

While the ICC prosecutes individuals and governments for committing war crimes, the ICJ operates under the United Nations to rule on disputes between countries. The ICJ's orders are binding for Israel, as the country is a UN member state.

South Africa has joined international human rights experts—including the UN's top expert on human rights in occupied Palestine—in saying Israel's blockade of Gaza and violent treatment of those in the enclave and the West Bank is a form of apartheid, comparing Israeli policies to the racial segregation that was imposed for nearly five decades by the white minority that controlled South Africa.

Last month, the government voted to suspend diplomatic ties with Israel until Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government agrees to a permanent humanitarian ceasefire.

"South Africa has continuously called for an immediate and permanent cease-fire and the resumption of talks that will end the violence arising from the continued belligerent occupation of Palestine," the government said Friday.

Journalist Jeremy Scahill was among those who recognized the significance of South Africa's application at the ICJ, noting that the country fought for its own liberation against an apartheid regime supported for decades by the US, which is backing Israel's assault on Gaza despite international outcry and protests within the United States.

"The UN Genocide Convention must be upheld. Israel must be held accountable," said former UN human rights official Craig Mokhiber, who resigned from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in October in protest of the UN's failure to stop Israel's massacre of civilians. International law must be preserved.

At the ICJ, South Africa called for an expedited hearing on Israel's actions and asked the court to indicate provisional measures under the Genocide Convention to "protect against further, severe, and irreparable harm to the rights of the Palestinian people.

Article 2 of the Genocide Convention, adopted in 1948, states that genocide includes acts committed with the intent to destroy, either in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.

Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst, pointed out Friday that the three leading Israeli officials have declared the intent to wipe out Gaza's population.

Bishara noted that Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in October that all civilians in Gaza are responsible for Hamas' attack on southern Israel, days after Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the military would collectively punish the enclave's population, who he called human animals.

Netanyahu also said this week that so-called voluntary migration of Gaza residents is the ultimate objective of Israel's assault.

On Friday, the spokesperson for Israel's Foreign Affairs Ministry, Lior Haiat, dismissed South Africa's motion as baseless and a despicable and contemptuous exploitation of the court.

Despite top officials' recent statements, Haiat said the government has made it clear that the residents of the Gaza Strip are not the enemy.

Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine director for Human Rights Watch, called South Africa's move "a vital step to propel greater support for impartial justice."

 

 

China: Dong Jun New Defense Minister

According to media reports, China has named Dong Jun as its new defense minister, two months after his predecessor was officially sacked. Dong, a former navy commander, takes over from Li Shangfu, who was last seen in public in August.

Dong's appointment was announced by China's top legislators at a Standing Committee meeting of the National People's Congress in Beijing on Friday.

The move follows a slew of dismissals of top military officials from the country's top posts earlier this year.

As well as Li, it included the removal of Qin Gang as foreign minister in July. No reasons were given for Li or Qin's dismissals. Both had been in their posts for only seven months respectively.

Further sackings took place this week too, with nine senior military officials removed from the Standing Committee on Friday.

Three executives at state-owned missile defense firms were also removed from Beijing's top political advisory body earlier this week.

Some analysts say this could indicate that a possible wider purge has taken place, targeting senior military leaders.

Dong was made commander of the navy in August 2021. His previous roles included serving as deputy commander of the Chinese military's Southern Theatre Command. Its area of operations includes the South China Sea - a disputed area, over large parts of which China claims sovereignty.

Dong's appointment comes after military personnel from China and the United States held their first high-level talks by phone in more than a year last week.

Relations between the two nations soured in 2022 after the then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. Taiwan is self-ruled, but China sees it as a breakaway province that will eventually unite with it.

In recent months, there has been a rapprochement between China and the US, with Chinese President Xi Jinping meeting his counterpart Joe Biden in California in November and agreeing to resume military communications. The two had not spoken for more than a year.

 

Hamas smashing Israeli army, says Sinwar

Hamas fighters are inflicting heavy losses on the Israeli military and will not submit to their conditions, the group's leader in Gaza, Yahya al-Sinwar, said in a message to the group's members outside of the territory, reports Middle East Eye. 

In a letter shared by Al Jazeera Arabic, Sinwar reassured the Palestinian group's leadership abroad about the armed wing's achievement after two-and-a-half months of Israeli bombing and ground operations.

He claimed that 5,000 Israeli soldiers and officers have been killed and wounded since the ground operations began in late October. One-third of them, around 1,660, were killed, he said, while the rest have been permanently disabled or seriously wounded. 

The Israeli military says 156 soldiers have been killed in ground combat so far, and 600 more have been wounded.

Israeli media outlets have reported a significantly higher number of wounded soldiers, citing discrepancies between figures provided by the army and cases documented by hospitals.

Sinwar added that Palestinian fighters, who are using guerrilla warfare tactics, such as snipers, anti-tank missiles and explosive devices, have completely or partially damaged at least 750 Israeli armoured vehicles, including tanks.  

"Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades are fighting a fierce and unprecedented battle against the Israeli occupation forces," Al Jazeera reported Sinwar as saying. 

He added that the brigades are smashing the Israeli army and will continue to do so, and that they will not submit to the conditions of the occupation. 

The Qassam Brigades are the largest Palestinian faction fighting the Israelis in Gaza. Others include Saraya al-Quds (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) and the smaller Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, which is aligned with the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Israel has reportedly proposed another temporary pause in fighting during which a group of Israelis could be released from Gaza in exchange for the release of some Palestinian prisoners. 

Hamas has publicly rejected the offer, saying no prisoner exchanges will take place before an agreement is reached to end the war permanently and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. 

While the unprecedented scale of Israeli bombing has killed more than 20,000 people and pushed Gaza to the brink of a humanitarian disaster, Hamas fighters still appear able to inflict heavy losses on the Israeli military. 

A total of 14 soldiers were killed over the weekend across the Gaza Strip, including in areas the army claims to have control over.

Since October 07, the Israeli army has released the names of 489 soldiers who have been killed in combat or died during the course of operations. That number includes former captives who likely died in Israeli bombardment.

Hamas and other Palestinian factions regularly publish videos of their attacks on Israeli positions, including images of Israeli weapons and ammunition seized during the fighting.

The Israeli military claims to have killed thousands of Hamas fighters and destroyed many tunnel shafts. However, no serious damage to the group's fighting capabilities has been acknowledged by the group so far.